In fact, regarding Nolan leaving Warner, Warner did have reasons it could argue.
You, Nolan, insisted on releasing Tenet in theaters at that time, and it ended up losing money. We at Warner went into streaming to make up for your losses—how could you be so ungrateful?
Of course, after Nolan made Oppenheimer and it raked in a staggering 952 million dollars at the global box office, Warner Bros. deeply regretted it.
Returning to the matter of severing ties with Melon Studios, Warner Bros. would definitely regret it as well. But once things had reached this point, there was no turning back. Everyone could only keep moving forward.
Back to the summer season. Kung Fu Panda, produced by Pixar Animation Studios with Gilbert serving as screenwriter and producer, was released on June 6.
Compared to the DreamWorks Animation version of Kung Fu Panda from Gilbert's previous life, he made certain changes to the script and story structure.
If it were a story with a purely Chinese core, it would likely be difficult to attract audiences. Therefore, while catering to viewers, Kung Fu Panda tried its best to retain a strong Chinese flavor.
Both the Chinese and English soundtracks of this animated film were pleasant surprises. Jackie Chan participated in the dual Chinese and English voice acting for Golden Tiger, while the English voice cast consisted entirely of Hollywood heavyweights.
For example, Dustin Hoffman, who had previously collaborated with Gilbert on The False, was invited by Gilbert to voice Master Shifu.
Old friend Sir Ian McKellen voiced Tai Lung, and Angelina Jolie voiced Tigress—truly a production filled with sincerity and surprises.
On the Chinese dubbing side, several of the hottest stars in the Chinese entertainment industry at the time were invited. Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing, Chen Kun, and others all took part in the voice work.
Perhaps because an animated film starring the adorable giant panda was a first of its kind, combined with kung fu—a theme North American audiences were already familiar with—the film earned 60.23 million dollars in North America during its opening weekend.
The film's reputation was also quite strong. Multiple media outlets scored it, giving an average rating of 89, which was very impressive.
More importantly, the merchandise. Soft and cute Po dolls, keychains, figurines, and other peripheral products sold 7.3 million dollars in their first week alone.
When combined with other merchandise, total sales had already exceeded 15 million dollars.
As the movie continued its theatrical run, the merchandise would keep gaining momentum and continue contributing to sales.
But that wasn't the most surprising part. With large-scale global releases underway, the clumsy and lovable Po became hugely popular and achieved strong results worldwide.
The first installment was crucial. Only if the first film succeeded could subsequent films be smoothly produced.
In fact, the biggest surprise came from Chinese audiences. A Hollywood animated film centered on the national treasure, the giant panda, naturally sparked widespread curiosity.
Especially among parents, who usually hesitated to go to theaters—this time, they could finally take their children along.
Once they entered the cinema, parents discovered that animated films could be made so wonderfully, and were not merely symbols of childishness or low age appeal.
Some people began to slightly change their perception of animated films—perhaps adults could enjoy such animated movies as well.
Disney also had an animated film adapted from an ancient Chinese story under its banner, called Mulan, which had achieved fairly good results back then.
One characteristic of Disney's animation productions was its fondness for making live-action adaptations.
After seeing Kung Fu Panda achieve solid success, Disney restarted this idea, wanting to produce a live-action version of Mulan, and even hoping to cast Shu Chang in the role.
However, when transitioning from animation to live action, certain elements that North American audiences could accept and understand would inevitably change.
Gilbert vetoed this proposal. The animated version of Mulan was already good enough—there was no need to add an unnecessary live-action version that would only ruin it.
The key issue was that even if Disney could capture the right spirit, that would be fine—but the fear was ending up with something awkward and ill-fitting, pleasing neither side.
Even Gilbert himself wasn't confident he could pull it off, let alone others.
Another matter concerned Tom Cruise. The performance of Mission: Impossible 3 was not very good, but Tom Cruise didn't want to give up his signature franchise.
So he approached Gilbert to discuss it.
"Tom, I'm not really suitable to take over this film. If possible, I can recommend a fitting director for you."
"You mean that animation director you mentioned? Brad Bird?"
Tom Cruise frowned slightly. "Can that really work?"
"Of course. If you're interested, I can help set up a meeting," Gilbert said.
Tom Cruise hesitated for a moment before replying, "Let me think it over a bit more."
The current Tom Cruise was different from his previous life. His marriage with Nicole Kidman was happy, and the two had a son and a daughter.
His career was also developing quite well—he had won the Academy Award for Best Actor with Chicago. After that, he collaborated with Gilbert on The False and The Last of Us, both of which achieved good results.
Although Mission: Impossible 3 couldn't be considered a success, Tom Cruise wasn't as dependent on the franchise as he had been in the original timeline, so he wasn't in a rush.
Afterward, Gilbert also communicated with Brad Bird. Brad Bird himself was very interested in directing live-action films, especially action movies.
In order to prove his own ability, he even drew some concept art for Gilbert, featuring designs full of imaginative, animated-style creativity.
Gilbert then gave these concept sketches to Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise studied them very carefully, and as a result, he had a meal with Brad Bird, and the two chatted for a while.
Although it was not ultimately confirmed that Brad Bird would direct the film, the two got along very well, and it was likely that they would still reach a collaboration.
Tom Cruise also asked Gilbert, "When can we collaborate on another movie? Like The False and The Last of Us."
"Tom, if there's a suitable role, I'll look for you," Gilbert said.
Obviously, Tom Cruise had tasted the sweetness and wanted to continue collaborating with Gilbert on films. He could be considered the big-name star who had worked with Gilbert the most, carrying a distinct sense of being a go-to actor.
After thinking for a moment, Gilbert said, "Of course, if you're willing to lower your salary and star in a low-budget Mystery/Thriller, I'd be very happy to do so."
Tom Cruise frowned. "You want to shoot a mystery film? Or a thriller?"
"A combination of both. It's an original script and story," Gilbert replied.
Tom Cruise thought for a moment and said, "We're friends, so I can't lie. If it's not an awards-oriented film, lowering my salary would damage my commercial value."
"I understand. How about you take a look at the script first and then decide? I can guarantee it's a story just as exciting as The False and The Last of Us."
"I'll think about it again!"
The outside world speculated that Gilbert might strike while the iron was hot and continue directing Batman films. However, Gilbert believed that the influence of The Dark Knight was currently too great, and that a sequel would have to wait a few years.
This year's work schedule was very busy. In addition to serving as an artistic consultant for the Olympic Games, there was also the financial crisis to deal with.
This meant that Gilbert could not fully focus on film production, so he decided to bring out a low-budget original mystery thriller film.
This film was called Knives Out, and it emerged as a commendable movie at a time when homogenization in Hollywood was becoming increasingly severe and original films were nearly extinct.
By releasing this film, Gilbert intended to once again solidify his reputation as Hollywood's top-tier original film director.
Most importantly, this film was exciting enough.
...
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Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
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